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Leicester hospitals bosses could take the NHS to court if they push ahead with plans to shut down the children’s heart unit at Glenfield Hospital.

John Adler, chief executive at Leicester’s hospitals, has previously said that they didn’t wish to get involved in a conflict.

But at a meeting of the Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland joint health scrutiny meeting on Tuesday (June 27) he added: “We have been taking legal advice and the view is there is significant scope for challenge in terms of what is expected of public bodies.”

His comments came after nearly a dozen parents, patient groups and campaigners told councillors and NHS England representatives why the unit should stay.

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After hearing the submissions Leicester City Councillor Ted Cassidy said he was “very angry” and “shocked” by what he had heard about the closure proposals and warned it was likely to lead to a Judicial Review.

Colleague, Coun Vi Dempster called on NHS England to “draw a line under this wrong decision.”

Rutland County Coun Gale Waller added: “It is about time NHS England realised its purpose is to look after people.”

Michael Wilson, NHS England’s programme director for congenital heart disease, said all the views and comments from the meeting will be taken back to colleagues.

He added: “In the summer last year there were proposals which were then worked up for public consultation but no decision has been taken.”

Mr Wilson said responses to the public consultation, which ends on July 17, had been very high and a decision on the future of children’s heart surgery is expected “later this year, or early next year.”